


Ordinary Heroes

by iam93percentstardust



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 10:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11757519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iam93percentstardust/pseuds/iam93percentstardust
Summary: What if Bucky hadn't been captured?





	Ordinary Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this post: http://nashscribblings.tumblr.com/post/126519789883/alexisthenedd-behindthefourthwall-what-if

There were three things that the boys of the 107th Infantry Regiment held to be indisputable truths. Firstly, war was hell. Secondly, the meals on the road would always be awful. Thirdly, if you stood still long enough, Sergeant Bucky Barnes would tell you all about his closest friend, Steve Rogers.

Through Bucky’s stories, most members of the 107th felt that they knew Steve almost as well as Bucky himself. They knew that Steve never ran from a fight. They knew that he didn’t tolerate bullies. They knew that he was hopeless with children and even worse with women. They knew that Bucky was angry Steve hadn’t been there to say goodbye when they’d shipped out for Europe. They knew that he had attempted five times to get himself enlisted.

One of the boys jokingly commented that maybe Steve had gotten lucky. Maybe they’d see him in Europe.

Bucky looked at him with angry eyes and quietly replied, “I’d better not.”

None of the boys ever joked about Steve again.

A different recruit once asked why Bucky was so set against Steve joining the Army. That was the day that the 107th learned that Steve Rogers weighed 100 pounds soaking wet and was barely five feet tall.

Most of the boys teased Bucky mercilessly about Steve- after all, the man talked more about his best friend than his best girl. A few thought worriedly about the nature of Bucky’s relationship with Steve. And one- Gilmore Hodge by name- thought about the Steve Rogers he’d met a few months earlier at a training camp in New York.

Steve Rogers was a common enough name and Hodge thought for certain that there was no way the Steve he’d known could be Bucky’s Steve. As it was, he kept silent about the whole affair. He liked Bucky well enough and didn’t think that he needed to be worrying about his friend when he should be worrying about how to stay alive.

Barely a month after shipping out, the 107th accepted another indisputable truth: Captain America was a grandstanding punk.

The first they’d heard of America’s Golden Boy was when Colonel Phillips, Agent Carter, and a whole slew of new recruits had shown up, including Hodge. None of them had much to say about where they had been but there were a few hints dropped here and there: whispers about Project Rebirth and super soldiers. And then a name dropped by Agent Carter when she’d been talking to Colonel Phillips- Captain America.

At first, the boys had thought he was a joke, especially with a name like Captain America. Then Hodge had mentioned one night at dinner that it wasn’t a joke. There really had been a program designed to create super soldiers, a program that could have turned the tide of the war.

“So what happened?” Bucky asked in the silence following Hodge’s statement.

Hodge shrugged. “No idea. One minute they’re telling us we’re gonna be the next in a line of super soldiers; next minute, they’re shipping us out here and telling us the whole thing’s over.”

“Is this Captain America one of them?” Bucky asked next.

Again, Hodge shrugged. “I don’t remember any ‘Captain America.’” He thought of Steve Rogers and how he’d been the only one of the Project Rebirth recruits to not be sent to the 107th. “Could be,” he added.

A few weeks later, the first care packages from home arrived. Hodge was surprised to open his and see a letter from his little sister. He read it quickly and frowned. The letter had been devoid of anything resembling worry for her big brother or news from home. Instead, it was full of gushing for Captain America.

_I went to see Captain America’s show last night!_

_He’s so handsome and tall and strong!_

_They show his pictures at the theaters. I like the ones where he’s leading missions against the Germans._

_Have you met him? They say he’s done missions all across Europe._

_I’m auditioning to be one of his chorus girls._

_I’ve sent you one of his comic books._

Hodge dug deeper into the package to find a slim comic book all about the adventures of Captain America and how he was working to undermine the Nazi regime. He flipped through the pages and snorted. He doubted very much that this Captain America had ever been to Europe or fought against the Nazis. In fact, he thought to himself as he glanced back at the letter, he rather thought that Captain America was little more than a dancing monkey. He couldn’t have possibly been a part of Project Rebirth. He was probably some actor hired to sell war bonds or something similar, nothing like the real soldiers in the 107th.

Hodge’s comic book made the rounds that night at dinner and everyone agreed that the whole thing was absurd. How could anyone praise this posturing actor as a hero when there were real soldiers fighting and dying in Europe?

The weeks passed and more letters and comics about Captain America ended up in the regiment. None of them were taken seriously and were more likely to be used as toilet paper than they were to be read.

“What do you think?” he asked Bucky and another soldier, Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, one night, showing him the latest package from his sister. True to her word, she had auditioned to be a chorus girl for Captain America and had successfully gotten the role. She’d sent him a photo of her and Captain America together, complete with his autograph.

Dugan smirked. “Ridiculous. We do all the hard work and he gets all the credit.”

Bucky was quiet though, peering at the photograph, frowning thoughtfully. He thought he recognized the handwriting on the signature. But it couldn’t possibly be Steve. For one thing, Steve looked nothing like the guy in the photograph.

Truth be told, he was a little worried. He’d been gone for nearly two months and, in all that time, he hadn’t heard a thing from Steve. It wasn’t like his best friend. He fervently hoped that Steve hadn’t done anything stupid.

As the days went on, there wasn’t as much time to make silly jokes about America’s Golden Boy. The 107th Regiment was being moved to the front lines in Italy. The news came that Captain America was touring the regiments in Europe to offer encouragement to the soldiers. The boys barely laughed about the idea of the pampered actor spending time in the mud with the actual soldiers. They were too busy prepping for the assault on Azzano.

Azzano was a small village, barely more than a few homes and churches. Colonel Phillips had heard about a small contingent of Nazi forces taking shelter in the village. According to the report, it was the perfect place to push the Allied line forward.

Under the cover of night, the 107th met up with the 92nd Infantry. “Gabe Jones,” one of the soldiers from the 92nd said, holding out his hand to Bucky.

“Bucky Barnes,” he replied, shaking the offered hand. He jerked a thumb at Dugan marching next to him. “This is Dum Dum Dugan.”

“Nice to meet you,” Gabe said quietly. “Some night, huh?” He held up a small radio. “Been listening in. Haven’t heard anything from the Germans though.”

“That’s concerning,” Bucky muttered. His two compatriots turned to look at him. “The Germans are never quiet, unless they’re planning an-” He broke off as a whistling sound pierced the night. “Ambush!” he yelled, shoving Gabe aside. A second later, the ground exploded where Gabe had been standing.

Later, Bucky would only be able to remember snippets of the night: Gabe holding up a mangled radio, Dugan’s hat falling off after a shell explosion, flashes of blue light as the Nazi soldiers were incinerated, the dawning realization that they weren’t being rescued at all.

The tank with the mysterious blue fire turned its gun toward his company.

Bucky realized what was going to happen and threw himself clear. As it was, he didn’t move quite fast enough. The blast from the tank radiated outward. Bucky felt himself lifted from his feet, thrown clear of the battle. His head slammed into the ground. The world went dark.

A booted foot was kicking him.

“This one’s no good,” he heard a German-accented voice say. “Almost dead already.”

“Leave him there,” another one said. “The birds’ll get to him soon enough.”

There was a sound of booted feet moving away. Bucky slipped back into unconsciousness.

When he next woke, it would be to find himself in an uncomfortable bed, although it was certainly better than the ground he’d been laying on. His head hurt. The noises around him were strangely muffled. Gingerly, he lifted his hand to his head. Well, that explained the muffled noises- his head and ears were covered in a thick bandage.

“Hell of an injury,” he heard a familiar voice say. Bucky looked to his right to see Hodge. “Nurses weren’t sure you’d make it.”

For the first time, Bucky looked around. He was in the hospital tent back at the camp. There was an overwhelming stench of burning flesh. He groped around for the trashcan beside his bed and retched into it.

“Pretty nasty isn’t it?” Hodge said, nodding. “Place has smelled like that since Azzano.”

Memories filtered back in through Bucky’s mind. A tank with unusual fire, the symbol of HYDRA stamped on its side. A blast that had knocked him off his feet. And the comments of two German soldiers.

“What happened?” he asked.

An ugly snarl crossed Hodge’s face. “HYDRA. Turned on their own side. Wiped out the Nazis.”

“And our guys?” Bucky prompted, fearing he already knew the answer.

“Gone. HYDRA took them.”

“They’re planning a rescue mission, though, right?”

Hodge snorted. “Course not. ‘It’s a suicide mission. I’m not going to waste any more men,’” he said in a mocking tone.

Bucky leaned back against the bed, his breath rushing out of him. In a twisted way, it made sense to not mount a rescue. Their friends were far behind enemy lines. Any attempts to rescue them would be more likely to fail than to succeed. Still, it didn’t feel right. Those men had been friends, comrades, brothers and they were leaving them behind. His thoughts turned to Steve and what Steve might have done in this situation. Not that he really had to wonder what Steve might have done; he knew exactly what would have happened. Scrawny Steve Rogers would have marched right up to Colonel Phillips and demanded that a rescue mission be sent out and when his request was denied, he would have left in the middle of the night to attempt one anyway.

For a brief moment, Bucky considered doing what Steve would have done but his head was throbbing. Any mission on his part would have to wait.

The days passed somberly. Over 200 men had gone to Azzano. Less than 50 had come back. Good men like “Dum Dum” Dugan were gone, presumed to be killed. The men left were battered and broken.

There were times when Bucky wished that he had been taken with the other captives. But then he thought of Steve who had lost so much. He wouldn’t wish another heartbreak like that on anyone, least of all his closest friend. Even if it seemed like Steve had forgotten him or moved on, Bucky was determined that he would make it back to New York.

Then came the news: Captain America was coming to visit their regiment.

Evidently, the higher ups had decided that a spot of encouragement from America’s Golden Boy was exactly what the decimated 107th Regiment needed. Never mind that the men were highly offended by this actor who dared to paint himself as much of a soldier as they were.

Bucky didn’t know how he felt about Captain America. A few months ago, he would have been just as offended as the rest of his regiment. But now, maybe they needed to hear his encouragement. Or maybe they needed to get angry at something since they couldn’t get angry with the superiors who continued to delay. Maybe they just needed to feel something. Maybe Captain America was the only one who could make them feel something.

The day of Captain America’s arrival was marked with the sound of hammers as a few volunteers threw together a stage for the show. It was set for right before the evening meal, which irritated many of the men as they assumed that the show would cut into their mealtime.

That evening, Bucky settled onto the ground with the rest of his regiment. There were rumors going around that Captain America hadn’t even bothered to learn which company he was performing for and why he was there. Other rumors insisted that he hadn’t bothered to show up at all but was leaving the entire show for the girls to perform.

“No complaints there,” Hodge commented about that last rumor. “Maybe it won’t be too bad after all.”

The music started up and a troop of scantily dressed young woman marched onto the stage, singing, “Who’s strong and brave, here to save the American Way?”

From their midst, emerged the star spangled Captain America, wearing a ridiculous red, white, and blue costume, completed with tights and a winged helmet. He launched into some pre-rehearsed line about valor and patriotism but Bucky didn’t hear more than the first word.

He knew that voice.

His jaw dropped. It couldn’t be- but it was. Steve Rogers was Captain America. As the song progressed, his eyes roved over the costumed hero on the stage. He noted the eyes and the smile, the same as the Steve he’d left back home. But this Steve was tall and muscular, nothing like his Steve.

It couldn’t possibly be Steve, he reassured himself. Steve didn’t have all that much common sense but even he couldn’t have done something so stupid. Besides, the Steve he remembered had been small and weak.

The show came to an end. Captain America called to the crowd, “Now how many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?”

There was a sullen silence. Hodge leaned over to Bucky and whispered, “Can you believe this guy? Thinking that we haven’t won ‘cause we’re not motivated enough?”

Bucky waved him off, watching as Captain America withered beneath the angry glares. Even the way he hesitated was familiar to Bucky. He decided that he couldn’t go without knowing any longer.

“Steve?” he yelled.

Captain America froze and, in that instant, Bucky had his answer. “Is that Bucky?” Steve muttered, clearly not intending for anyone to hear but the microphone picked it up anyway.

“Steve! What the hell are you doing?” Bucky shouted. “When did you get taller?”

There was a low rumble as the regiment started murmuring to themselves. “Steve?” “Not Bucky’s Steve?” “Didn’t he say Steve was tiny?”

“Shit, that is Bucky,” Steve said, wincing.

Now, there was a low chuckle and the atmosphere warmed considerably towards Steve.

Steve turned to someone offstage. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this was the 107th?”

Just barely, Bucky could hear the reply, “We didn’t think it was relevant.”

Furious, he yelled more insistently, “Steve, why are you big?”

Steve held a finger up and Bucky went silent, expecting an answer. Then, without warning, he practically ran offstage.

Bucky sprang to his feet, shouting, “Steve! Get your punk ass back here!”

The rest of the men couldn’t hold it in any longer. There was a great shout of laughter from one of the boys near Bucky and then most of them were laughing. Bucky didn’t notice as he was shoving his way past the crowd to the area behind the stage.

One of the stagehands tried to stop him but he pushed past him. “Steve, I want to talk to you!” he called.

Steve emerged from behind one of the curtains, handing his helmet to one of the dancing girls.

“Sorry, Mr. Rogers,” the stagehand said. “I tried to-”

“It’s all right, Bill,” Steve said quietly. “Can you give us a minute?”

Then it was just the two of them, like old times. For a moment, Bucky just stared at Steve, taking him in. This new Steve was taller with more muscles on him. But the rueful grin and the sparkling blue eyes were the same as they’d always been.

Bucky laughed and started forward, pulling Steve into a hug. After a second, he pulled back although his hands stayed on Steve’s shoulders.

“What happened to you?” he asked.

Steve shrugged. “I joined the army.” The whole story came tumbling out: Dr. Erskine, the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Agent Peggy Carter, the serum, and then everything that had happened after the change with the Nazis in New York and then being recruited for the shows.

At some point, Agent Carter showed up. She offered Steve a rare smile. Bucky didn’t miss the way her eyes softened when she looked at Steve, nor did he miss the way Steve lingered while shaking her hand.

“So what happened to you?” Steve asked when he’d finished his story.

The same way Steve had, Bucky shrugged. “I joined the army.” Then his story came out: the training, the camping, the battles and then Azzano.

“Over 150 good men are gone and the commanders won’t do anything,” Bucky spat out. “Said it’s too much of a risk.”

Just as he’d known they would, Steve’s eyes darkened. “Too much of a risk to save 150 men?” he repeated.

Agent Carter held up a hand to stop him. “Steve, don’t do anything foolish,” she said. “They’re planning a rescue.”

“What’s their plan?” Steve demanded.

She opened her mouth and then closed it.

“Exactly,” Steve said, as though it proved his point. “If you’re here, I’ll bet Colonel Phillips is here too.” Agent Carter nodded. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

Bucky and Agent Carter exchanged confused looks. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to talk him into anything,” Bucky said as he ran to catch up with Steve.

Steve shook his head. “No, I don’t think I will either. But I’ll bet he’s got a map.”


End file.
